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How bad and how long can an IBS flare up last?

Posted , 9 users are following.

paul75665
paul75665

Hi All

Just after some fellow IBS sufferers experiences during a flare up to compare with my latest flare up, which was quite a bad one for me. For your information I suffer with IBS-A (alternating) but I generally suffer more with IBS-C symptoms, although I generally feel worse when I experience bouts of IBS-D.

My latest flare up started Wednesday evening and only now do I feel like I'm starting to get back to normal, so that makes a total of about 3 days. My flare ups tend to last anywhere between 3 to 10 days, so the length of time this latest one has gone on for seems quite normal for me, I'm wondering if this sounds like a normal length of time to experience a flare up?

The more worrying issue is how my flare ups actually make me feel. When they hit the reaction is usually quite quick to come on, I get very bloated and burp a lot, I also get a lot of sharp, random abdominal and chest pains and cramping. I also get this lump feeling in my throat and I physically feel like I'm struggling to draw breath. My heart rate tends to increase, and I also get this dizzy, lightheaded, wobbly feeling come over me in waves, I also feel like I could just fall asleep at any moment. My flare ups really do make me feel really unwell, and at points very worried. I'd be very grateful to hear experiences of others IBS flare ups, and to hear whether the symptoms I experience are likely to be the result of my IBS flare ups?

Many thanks in advance.

0 likes, 40 replies

40 Replies

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  • sabab172
    sabab172 paul75665

    Posted

    Your symptoms are exactly like mine. My last flare lasted on and off for three months and its only been the last few weeks I have felt better. It's definitely not gone as some foods are causing symptoms but it is so much calmer than the autumn of misery I had with it. I have started drinking live goats milk kefir and take high strength magnesium which helps. When a flare is bad, I take the full dose of Buscopan for quite a few days and that seems to calm everything down. It's a horrible condition and it seems to have a jokey view that IBS is just a bit of toilet trouble when actually it is far from it and is a condition that makes many lives miserable...

    • paul75665
      paul75665 sabab172

      Posted

      Thanks for the reply Sabab.

      You're certainly right about the jokey view about IBS, I'll admit I was one of those naive people that thought it was just a bit of tummy / toilet trouble, how wrong was I!! It's only since suffering with it myself and speaking to other sufferers that it can actually be a very debilitating illness, it has totally turned my world upside down. As I said my flare ups only go on for at the most 10 days on average, I'm half way through so hoping I'll get some relief very soon.

      I am sorry to hear you experience much the same as me, and I do hope you keep your IBS under control for the foreseeable future.

    • helen_69456
      helen_69456 sabab172

      Posted

      I also get IBS and I get it really bad if that's just about 2 or 3 days then it goes away but I used to use Buscopan and that work really well for me but I had to stop taking it because I have bladder issues I retain too much urine and buscopan causes urinary retention so my doctor told me to stop taking that I haven't found a replacement and I still get bad stomach aches I wonder what I could take any suggestions thank you

  • rob2000
    rob2000 paul75665

    Posted

    I get this Paul when i experience IBS symptoms. I have had some shortness of breath, strange tingling around my head and lump in the throat when i have eaten something which doesn't agree with me. As far as i can tell its gas, nerve reactions and mild acid reflux which causes the issues as i take a senocalm or buscopan and feel much better as it gets rid of trapped gas and calms the gut.

    • paul75665
      paul75665 rob2000

      Posted

      Thanks for your comments Rob.

      I tried buscopan in the beginning but for some reason I couldn't tolerate it at all, however I've never heard of senocalm so might look into that. I'm sure the intense bloating is a cause for a lot of the discomfort and feelings that you wouldn't suspect would be linked to IBS. I'm convinced if I could get the bloating under control then I wouldn't feel as bad as I do.

      Take care and all the best.

  • paul75665
    paul75665

    Posted

    Thanks to all how have responded to this query I had, I really do appreciate all your comments.

    There was one other thing I wanted to mention with regards to IBS symptoms, that I'm hoping some of you can help me with.

    During the worst moments of a flare up I get a lot of pain and discomfort, however the pains seem to shift from one area to the other. For example, I can get pain under my ribs, this may ease after x amount of time, but then I might get pains in my lower back. This can ease and I feel no discomfort, but then out of the blue I might get pain between my shoulder, this can then change to my lower abdomen, and then may transfer to my chest. The pain and discomfort is very random in length and position, and I refer to it as shifting pain.

    Does anyone else experience pain and discomfort that seems to shift randomly to any part of the body, at any time?

    • paul75665
      paul75665

      Posted

      Meant 'who have responded', sorry

    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 paul75665

      Posted

      Shifting pain is common with IBS and can be felt just about anywhere including the lower back. However, shoulder blade pain is associated with gastritis and gallbladder problems too.

    • paul75665
      paul75665 pippa58442

      Posted

      Thanks for confirming that Pippa.

      Gastritis has been mentioned to me before by doctors, I also keep getting slightly raised inflammatory marker results every now and again, and I have to say that sometimes I do feel this raw type soreness in my stomach. However since becoming ill I've had endoscopy and upper abdominal ultrasounds and everything looked normal, according to the doctors and tests I'm the picture of health, just wish I felt like it.

    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 paul75665

      Posted

      It could be that stress is causing your IBS flare ups to be so painful and orolonged. Maybe try light exercise or a hobby to distract your mind.

  • moonpig
    moonpig paul75665

    Posted

    what about trying a sport which helps strengthen the core muscles? i use to do pilates and horse riding. youd be surprisedat how much core strengthening exercised help a lot of problems!

    • paul75665
      paul75665 moonpig

      Posted

      I used to be in a five a side football team, and was a county badminton player, however I've also been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and CFS, and as such find it almost impossible to get out of the house, let alone do anything active. The being non active is probably making my IBS symptoms worse, and there is no way to escape them, especially when I'm stuck at home all day, everyday! I've been like this for 4 years now so I have learned to adapt, accept and deal with my problems as best as I can, doesn't stop me from wishing it would all go away though.

      Thank you for the suggestion though Moonpig, and if I was in a better state of health I would be following your advice.

    • sam18386
      sam18386 paul75665

      Posted

      Hi Paul, i have just had a thought and it goes along the lines of what someone else has mentioned. If you look at doing mindfulness or yoga, that would be good for you and msy even support your ill health. You could try swimming which will support your whole body. I have like most people on here had ibs for years and we are correction they are experts. These people are more useful than doctors. Good luck i hope you sort your pain out. Regular massage could help.

    • moonpig
      moonpig paul75665

      Posted

      in sorry to hear that. sounds like youre not having much luck at all! are you able to exercise in the house? i know you can buy yoga and pilates dvds to do in your own home (i do this with zumba.) yoga and pilates are non-energetic so might work in your favour 😃

  • helen_69456
    helen_69456 paul75665

    Posted

    Paul I think you might be having some anxiety when you get your flare-ups and then you said you feel like dizzy and light-headed to me that's anxiety because that's what I use to get I would get dizzy and lighthearted and I feel like I'm going to pass out but it's anxiety if you're not already taking medicine for anxiety you might want to look Into it I am on medication for anxiety so I know and I've been taking meds for many many years and it helps it might even help with your Ibs but then I have IBS and medicate for anxiety so but I don't get light-hearted or I don't get dizzy or I don't feel like I'm going to pass out it just makes me feel very normal and bearable ask your doctor about it. I hope this helps a little😊

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